Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Compassion Ministries, Mentor's Guide, MG16

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D O I N G J U S T I C E A N D L O V I N G M E R C Y : C O M P A S S I O N M I N I S T R I E S

In lesson three, Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Urban Community and Neighborhood , we will discuss the two critical truths underlying our understanding of serving in the world: God as creator and Jesus as Lord of all. The Church responds to the lordship of Jesus Christ, serving both as the locus (place) of God’s working as well as his agent (ambassador) through whom he works. We will look at the four classic ways that church/world relations have been understood in Church history, and then look at four models which can help us understand better just how the urban church should interact with its neighborhood and community. We will here also introduce a simple yet effective approach to organize our efforts together as we seek the Lord’s will to minister mercy and justice in our urban neighborhoods. Prepare, Work, and Review, (PWR) is a simple but exciting process of seeking the Lord’s wisdom in ministry. And in this lesson we will provide some practical advice on how to organize in order to provide effective care to others as we address the needs of those in our community. Finally, in lesson four, Doing Justice and Loving Mercy: Society andWorld , we will seek to expand this notion of doing justice and loving mercy to the very ends of the earth. Here we will look to comprehend our calling to live as world Christians , striving to think globally but to act locally . We will look critically at the issues of poverty and oppression, and the protection of the environment. After considering these weighty issues, we close this module’s discussion with a focus on one of the great issues of our time, the concept of difference. We will explore the oft-misunderstood notion of diversity from a kingdom perspective. We will explore the ways in which wrong concepts of difference can fuel bigotry and hatred among people, lead to violence, war and the loss of life and destruction of property. Here we will explore three Christian approaches to mass violence and war, and end our time with a plea for us to embrace a dynamic ministry of Christian peacemaking. In a world torn by violence, cruelty, and injustice, we desperately need representatives of the Kingdom who can demonstrate both the justice and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only the Church can reveal the righteousness, unity, and grace of the Kingdom of God in the midst of a world torn by malice, vengeance, and disunity. Only in Christ can we pursue a peace that is authentic and that will last. Until our Lord returns, we are called to display his righteousness in the earth. May God richly bless you in every way as you refresh your memory of our call to demonstrate justice and love mercy, in the Church and in the world, to the glory of God.

- Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis